INDEPENDENCE DAY

Fireworks, hot dogs, hurricane help mark Fourth of July

By: Associated Press - Texarkana Gazette

Associated Press
Vietnam veteran Emilo Mourlet pauses to salute his brother's grave Friday at the South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth, Fla. He is spending part of the holiday visiting both his brothers, who are buried at the cemetery.

Associated Press
John David Dowdle holds 23-month-old Blakely Dowdle as she laughs while being sprayed with water by the Germantown Fire Department on Friday during the Poplar Estates Fourth of July parade in Germantown, Tenn.

The United States marks 238 years as an independent nation as it celebrates the Fourth of July with fireworks, food and music. Nature and politics also play a role this ...